The second edition of the Port-city Cricket League had to overcome a lot of hurdles before it finally began at Sharjah, but it seems the problems of the Twenty20 competition are unending.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has caused the latest problem for the PCL organisers by issuing a directive to them to finish the competition on April 2 as was earlier scheduled.

The chief executive officer of the BCB, Nizamuddin Ahmed Chowdhury, in an e-mail message asked the PCL authorities to release the players at the earliest so that they can attend the auction for the soon-to-be-started National Twenty20 League.

The BCB is set to launch the franchise-based Twnety20 League next month and the auction of the tournament will be held in Dhaka on April 4, a day after the completion of the PCL.

The PCL authorities said they have changed the schedule of the competition already twice due to visa problem and are now not in a position to change the date again.

It is totally impossible. We have already suffered a lot and further changes in the schedule will only make things complicated,’ said Sirajuddin Mohammad Alamgir, general-secretary of the PCL Foundation.

Alamgir also did not find any reason why the players have to remain present at the NCL auction.

‘I don’t know why the players have to be there. We have seen a few other auctions recently including the IPL. But did you see the players there?’ asked Alamgir, who is also a BCB director.

Alamgir accused BCB director and tournament committee chairman Gazi Ashraf Hossain of playing a game with them.

‘He is trying to make it an issue. But he is not alone who belongs the BCB. We have now 14 BCB directors in Sharjah and they all are happy with our efforts,’ said an infuriated Alamgir.

The latest directive also did not go well with many players, who said some BCB directors are only trying to shut down a new window of their income by opposing the PCL.

A former national captain, who is actively involved with the BCB, heavily praised the PCL and said it has created great enthusiasm among the players.

‘A player can earn maximum Tk 2 lakh playing in the NCL. But many of them will earn Tk 10 lakh, if they can play in the final of PCL,’ he said on Monday.

‘I don’t see any problem if the BCB does not allow the contracted players to play in the PCL. But there has to be some competition for the other players. You cannot improve if you care for only 15 to 20 players and ignore the others,’ he said.

__________________12.6 Syed Rasel to Sangakkara, OUT: What a delivery, completely fooled Sangakkara, first five delivery were the outswingers and now, this one comes in sharply, Sangakkara tries to left it and ball hits the off stump, top class bowling!